Aston Martin Unveils CC100 Roadster Concept

Following the earlier unveiling of a lone teaser sketch, Aston Martin has taken the cover off of its stylish CC100 Roadster Concept which was designed by the company to celebrate its 100th anniversary and to serve as a rolling tribute to the legendary 1956 DBR/1 open top race car when it made its official debut alongside the iconic race car at the past weekend’s 24 hrs of Nurburgring race in Nuremburg Germany.

The exterior styling of the CC100 is a classic exercise in retro styling cues while also showcasing small glimpses of the future design direction that may trickle down into future Aston Martin models especially in the reworked front fascia. The company claims that the sleek little roadster was designed and constructed in less than six months, an impressive feat that Aston engineers should be proud of. Chief Exterior Designer Miles Nurnberger emphasized this point further stating “The brief was very simple, yet enormously testing: create something that reflects the 100 years of Aston Martin heritage and signals the future of the brand.” As a neat bonus piece of visual eye candy, the concept features “butterfly” doors which add a stylish and exotic flair to the overall styling of the CC100.

The interior of the CC100 concept was also designed to reflect the pinnacle of Aston Martin design and is crafted largely out of carbon fiber which has been bestowed with a distinctive weave to further embody the performance intentions of the concept. The car also shelves typical features such as climate control, radio, and other convenience features to shed weight as well as make the car as driver oriented as possible. Keeping occupants in place during spirited driving are a pair of supportive racing seats that are slathered with Bridge of Weir leather to provide a solid mixture of comfort and world class support which is bolstered even further by the built in full safety harness system. The CC100 also retains many of the features seen in other Aston Martin vehicles including the familiar glass control buttons as well as the company’s trademark glass starting switch for the Emotion Control Unit (ECU).

Performance comes from the company’s familiar 6.0 liter naturally aspirated V12 engine which sends its power to the rear wheels through a six speed sequential manual gearbox with paddle shifters. While the company did not release official horsepower numbers for the CC100, it did state that the concept is capable of completing the sprint to 60 mph in a quick 4.0 seconds flat before reaching a final top speed of 180 mph.

The Aston Martin CC100 Concept made its official debut at the 2013 24 Hours of Nurburgring endurance race last weekend with Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez behind the wheel, while the 1959 racer that inspired it was piloted by none other than legendary race car driver Sir Sterling Moss. While the company currently has no plans to officially produce the CC100, don’t be surprised if positive reaction to the concept compels the company to do a limited production run the same way it did when the One-77 first made its debut a few years back. In the meantime Aston Martin has released a detailed video chronicling the development of the CC100, which can be seen below.

Carl Malek is Autosavant’s resident German car fanatic and follower of all things General Motors. Carl first entered the world of automotive journalism as a freelance photographer during his freshman year of college before making the switch to automotive writing several years later. Carl developed an interest in cars at an early age, which helped him overcome the challenges of a learning disability in mathematics. In addition to writing for Autosavant community, Carl also contributes to many car forums and enjoys attending automotive events in the Metro Detroit area with his family. Carl’s message for others with learning disorders is to believe in yourself, be persistent, and face all challenges head on.